


Trapped

by Reswyn_Trevelyan



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:19:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27713977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reswyn_Trevelyan/pseuds/Reswyn_Trevelyan
Summary: "In the end, one's life is measured by those we've changed."A new Apex Legend joins the arena. As the daughter of one of Blisk's famed Apex Predators, it was just what the games needed for a boost of ratings. Camouflage aka Rylee Veil wants nothing more than to disappear from the grasp Blisk has on her but wants to be found by Alexander Nox.
Relationships: Caustic | Alexander Nox/Original Character(s), Caustic | Alexander Nox/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 21





	1. PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> Slow burn story with future smut and any comments are welcome! But I am a fragile smol bean so be kind. Thanks for taking the time to read my stories.
> 
> If you're interested in listening to a Spotify playlist based on the story click here -- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EOzg2j8uZbwg6a98C3z3p?si=UAdAtp5RSu2bI6UCQlfbow

Rylee Veil aka Camouflage.  


Age: 29 

As a legacy of the Apex Predators, Rylee Veil was destined to be an Apex Legend. Known for her highly advanced reconnaissance gear, Rylee Veil aka Camouflage uses her abilities to gain advantage over the opponent, evading enemies in a firefight, dealing higher damage to her foes when unseen, and shielding unfriendly eyes from her team mates. 

Passive: Hidden Agenda  
Any bullets shot by Camouflage while she is crouching does extra damage.

Tactical: Without a Trace  
Camouflage can blend in to any surrounding for 30 seconds, giving her the chance to get the high ground, evade enemy eyes, or get out of the line of fire without taking any damage.

Ultimate Ability: Subterfuge  
When faced against an enemy team, Camouflage can make herself appear as a member of the opposing team for 30 seconds. Long enough to confuse the opponent, making them think she’s a member of their squad. She can infiltrate and take out stragglers of the team or escape when caught. 

\----------------

PROLOGUE: 

Rylee sat in front of the holopad, her brunette hair tied up in a ponytail but hairs escaped and fell in front of her eyes. She kept typing away furiously. 

“Rylee…” She heard a faint voice in the background of her. 

“I’m busy Mom!” She shouted angrily. 

She heard her mother scoff. “Fine, but I don’t want to hear you complaining when your dinner is cold.” 

Rylee sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly remorseful for the tone she had just used on her mother. She went back to typing, watching her different variables place themselves into equations she had created. She was almost there, almost on the breakthrough to altering the atoms in her suit to mimic those of nearby strangers. It would make it a whole lot easier to sneak out and head to the firing range if she could just not look like herself.

She waited until just after sunset before she laid her plan into action. 

“Alright mom, I’m headed to bed.” She shouted from up the stairs and paused.

“Night, sweetie.” Her mom went back to watching her show; Rylee could hear the announcers. “You’ve been waiting for it and now it’s almost here! Tune in later tonight for the new SEASON PREMIERE of the APEX GAMES!” 

Rylee opened and shut her bedroom door, imitating her entering her room. She pulled out the square device and placed it in her glove. She felt a cool rush come over her as the material of her clothing began to change. And that old familiar feel, she knew that she was her surroundings. 

Getting out of the house was easy now. She knew why they had to be careful, they’d been on the run for most of her life. They always were one step ahead of Blisk and his band of mercenaries. Before she had to be extra quiet, but now she didn’t have to try so hard. The suit did all the work. She pulled out her handy Wingman she had just used the last years worth of work money to buy and made her way to the firing range in town, sneaking in well after close and shooting lead downrange. 

It was well after 1am before Rylee packed up her gear and headed home. She was exhausted and still had a lot more work to do tomorrow but it was worth it to let out all that frustration that seems to build up out of nowhere. She had just rounded on her block when she heard shouting. She paused, double checking that she was undetectable and then sprinted when she heard a woman shout. 

“Mom…” She huffed and raced to the house. Glass shattered, the house ripped apart. They’d been found.

“Where is she!?” A voice shouted. 

“She’s not here.” Her mother coughed and spat. Rylee heard the impact of fist to flesh, her blood boiling. 

“I’ll ask one more time...where is she.” Rylee raced in and saw a man, raising a P2020 point blank at her mother’s head. Rylee covered her mouth to stifle her gasp. She was unnoticeable but she knew that she had to stay quiet. 

Her mother’s head turned and Rylee swore she saw her expression change. “Could she see me?” Rylee asked herself.

“You’ll never find her. So go to hell.” She spit in the face of the man. He jerked back, repulsed and wiped his face with his sleeve, chuckled, then pulled the trigger. 

Rylee had to hold back the urge to scream as her mother slumped to the ground. She was gone. 

“Tear this house apart, she can’t be too far.”

“Are you sure she’s even worth all this trouble?” One of the females snapped as she headed towards the stairs. 

“Blisk said she’s Richter’s. She’s exactly what the games need. The Legacy of a Predator.” 

Rylee felt her some deep and dark part of herself urging itself forward.  
The woman went up the stairs and Rylee followed suit, not making a noise as her eyes narrowed and she rounded on her. The floor creaked when Rylee stepped and the woman turned around quickly but it was too late; Rylee had reached her arms up and snapped her neck. The death so satisfying, so needed. Rylee felt her hands tremble at how easy it was to kill. But she couldn't go back now.

“Ace?” The leader shouted up the stairs to the woman but saw her body fall over the banister. 

He held up his transponder. “She’s here. The girl is here! Don’t let her get away.” 

Rylee raced towards her room when another man stepped out from the shadows. She grabbed her Wingman, shakily shooting. The first shot missed the target but the second and third hit their mark square in his chest.  
She yanked the door open to her room and found two men, pouring over her work on the laptop. 

“Tango spotted!” One shouted.

“Wait, do you actually see her!?” The other exclaimed confused. She slid beneath the legs of one and kicked out his knees, then unloading a clip into his back. But before she could reload the other man reached for her laptop. Unsure if her work was worth saving, she dove for the laptop, but the laptop gave away her position. She felt the barrel of the P2020 make contact with her jaw. The tech of her suit flickered and she was suddenly visible again. 

“Not so sneaky are you?” The man said and knelt down face to face with Rylee. 

“Eh, looks like your camouflage failed you. Maybe you’re not good enough after all.” He snorted and then pulled up his transponder. 

“Blisk, I got her.”

“How many did she down?” The voice echoed. 

“Two.” The leader responded. 

“Hmm, not bad for no training. Knock her out and bring her to me.” 

Rylee blinked and before she knew it, everything went dark when a sudden pain hit the back of her head. 

When she finally came to, she was in a dark room with very little furniture and she lay on a couch. 

“Get up girl.” 

She blinked. “Where am I?” 

The voice didn’t respond for a moment then asked. 

“Do you know who I am?”

“How the hell am I supposed to answer that? I can’t see anything in here.” 

A man appeared from the shadows. White hair, looked to be in his 60s. 

“I’m Kuben Blisk, former founder of the Apex Predators. Ever heard of ‘em?”

Rylee nodded slowly. “Yeah… I know who you are. I know the Predators.”

The man smiled and handed her a card. “I’m sure you do. We were ruthless. We were unstoppable. But things happen, life goes on.” He paused and took a drink out of a flask in his pocket.

He continued. “You’re our new Legend.” 

She gave him a quizzical look. 

“An… Apex Legend? Why? Why me.” 

“You’re the daughter of one of the most famed Apex Predators. Heartless, notorious.”

“No...that’s not me.” She shook her aching head. 

“It is you. And if you want to have an easy life, I suggest you do as I tell you.” 

She paused. “And if I don’t?”

Blisk smirked. “You’re gonna wish my guys put a bullet in your skull, just like your mother.” 

Rylee felt her throat tighten. 

“You’re born to be a killer,” Blisk continued, “Hidden in the shadows. You’ve escaped our grasp long enough to know how to stay out of sight. Those kinds of skills will make you an unstoppable force in the games.”

“What choice do I have.” She felt her will to fight leaving her. They all knew of the Apex Predators, she knew that her father was Richter and how fucked up he was. And Blisk was the mastermind.

“None. So we gotta deal?”

“What do I need to do?” She looked up hesitantly at Blisk and a smirk grew on his face. 

“Everything I say.”


	2. A Legendary Introduction

The elevator ride to the top of Legend’s Tower was excruciatingly long. 

“Nervous?” Blisk asked. 

Rylee looked straight ahead. 

“No. Should I be?” 

“Good girl.”

She scoffed disgustedly.

“Don’t get to use that tone with me, Veil.” He clipped back. 

She sighed. A year of training and she was no closer to buying her freedom. Blisk had his grasp firmly on her. He was going to use her to rig the games, win games or throw games so he could sell the information to third parties for a high cost.

The final floor dinged and the elevator doors opened. 

“I’m not going in. Don’t need the Legends thinking you had some sort of special treatment because of me.” 

She paused and raised an eyebrow. “I did have special treatment because of you though.”

Blisk snorted. “Enough of the attitude, Veil. Here...I got something for you. An heirloom if you will…” 

He handed her a blade, larger than a dagger but smaller than a machete. 

“Richter used this when he was under my command in the Apex Predators. He wasn’t afraid to use it.” 

She observed the knife, tape on the handle for comfort and there were still some stains of blood. 

Blisk grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in close. “Do NOT be afraid to use it.” He grunted.  
She paused and thought of the knife sinking deep into Blisk’s throat. The warm blood pouring over her hands and that would be the end of him. She would end it before she even had to step into the arena. 

But the chance passed and it was gone. “Now get out there and wait for my orders.” He said pushed her out of the elevator and the doors closed. 

She turned; Time to meet the competition. She changed her expression, she was going to need to fit in and quickly in order to learn everything about these Legends and be able to win or throw games according to Blisk’s demands.

As she rounded the corner, she had to admit her heart started pounding. It had been a year since the games started, so she felt that she already knew all these people. But if the Mercenary Syndicate wanted her as a Legend to make her into a ruthless killing machine, to rig the games...what had they made the other Legends do? Were they all that she saw on television?

“Footsteps approaching.” A heavily accented voice talked over the chatty room of Legends. That was Bloodhound, she knew instantly.

“Ah, it must be our new Legend!” She heard the familiar accent of Lifeline. 

She turned the next corner and into the room, all eyes shifted on her. She stood alone, briefly uncomfortable. 

Octane sprinted to her. 

“Hola, you must be Camouflage! Nice to have a new face amongst the group, it was getting pretty stale around here.” 

She smiled politely. “Hi. Rylee, Rylee Veil.” 

“Oh yeah, you’re Richter’s daughter. Real piece of work that guy was.” Bangalore kicked her feet up on the glass table while seated beside Wraith who nodded at Rylee coolley. 

"Who's Richter?" Lifeline set down her tools. 

"He was an Apex Predator, worked for Kuben Blisk and the IMC, if they could afford the Predators." Bangalore mused. 

"And apparently the man who got my mother pregnant." Rylee rolled her eyes. She knew that there was nothing pleasant about her birth. She knew Richter took advantage of her mother. But despite that, Rylee's mother gave her the best life she could. There was an awkward pause and she realized she spoke too much information too quickly. 

"Uh. So, was I interrupting anything?"

Octavio showed her to the group and she took a seat on a barstool. 

“Drink?” She turned and there was Mirage handing her a pre-made martini.

“Absolutely.” She reached but the martini vanished as soon as her hand touched it. 

“Ahhh, gotcha! Look at your face.” A voice directly to her left chuckled. 

Her face flushed red, embarrassed she so easily fell for that. She knew these Legends. She knew better. 

“I’m just messin’ with ya. Hi. I’m Elliott. Here.” He handed her another one and laughed as she hesitated. 

“Seriously, it’s real. See?” He took a sip and then handed it to her. She felt herself lighten up a bit and took a long sip. 

“I’m pretty eager to be apart of the games.” She smiled. 

She looked around the room, a handful of Legends missing. 

“This isn’t everyone?” She questioned and looked between Elliott and Octavio.  
“Nah, they’re just running late. We’re not used to keeping a schedule. I’m always early though.” Octavio chuckled. 

The doors slid open and in walked another pair of Legends. 

“Oh good! The new recruit!” The large Gibraltar sauntered his way in with a grin. 

“High Five!” 

Rylee grinned. Pathfinder was the most pure of the group in her opinion. She eagerly gave him a high five. 

“You have no idea how long I wanted to do that!” She laughed, easing into the group as they smiled with openness. 

“Just missin’ one more.” Lifeline tinkered with D.O.C. her healing drone. And as if right on cue, the door opened once more. 

Rylee grimaced slightly and she turned to look. She knew the rumors surrounding him, Dr. Alexander Nox’s research, his history. Of all the people in this room, he was the one who frightened her the most when she agreed to join the games and Blisk warned her not to underestimate a man who got a thrill from killing. But then again, that was exactly the man her father was. 

“Apologies. Some unexpected outcomes presented themselves.” The raspy voice drew her in and he coughed slightly. His appearance was not what she expected. She was used to seeing clunky gas canisters, wild hair, an apparatus covering his face. What she saw was a well kept gentleman, slightly longer hair slicked back, a full beard and green eyes that shined with curiosity. 

“Gassy, this is our newest Legend, Camouflage Rylee Veil.” Mirage nodded to Rylee. 

“You know I don’t approve of that sobriquet, Elliott.” He extended a hand to Rylee. 

“Pleasure, Ms. Veil.” He took her much smaller hand in his right one and placed the left on top of it and she was stunned by his current disposition. 

“Uh. Rylee. You may call me Rylee.” She felt her heart skip a beat.

“Very well. I’m eager to observe your abilities first hand in the arena.” He nodded and then turned and sat down on an opposite table. 

“Now that we’re all here, we can finally get down to business.” Bangalore started, clearly a leader amongst the group.  
“Rylee, when a new Legend comes into the Games - some changes are usually made to the arena and we discuss them as a group. We never know who will be on a team with us so we like to make sure we know what the other individuals may be interested in doing in the games. For example, some changes could be made to the Alternator. Are you familiar with the weaponry?” 

Rylee cleared her throat. “Mm yes, I’m very familiar.” 

“Great. I’ll continue. Mirage over there is particularly fond of a Wingman. So it makes sense that any one on Elliott’s team wouldn’t go for a Wingman. However, there are times when we wanna try new things, switch it up a bit for the fanbase. Are you following?” 

“Absolutely.” 

And with that the group began to discuss the upcoming season in depth, but Rylee couldn’t help but catch a pair of green eyes watching her from time to time….observing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read the first official chapter of the story! Hopefully you enjoy!   
> If you're interested in listening to a Spotify playlist based on the story click here -- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EOzg2j8uZbwg6a98C3z3p?si=UAdAtp5RSu2bI6UCQlfbow


	3. For The Sake of Science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camouflage prepares for her first game and participates in some research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested in listening to a Spotify playlist based on the story click here -- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EOzg2j8uZbwg6a98C3z3p?si=UAdAtp5RSu2bI6UCQlfbow

A small vibration and ding on her communicator woke Rylee at 4:40am. She groggily blinked as the light shone in her face, causing her to grimace. 

Blisk: Throw me a Lifeline. 

That was all it said and Rylee knew she was to throw the match as in favor of Lifeline this time as she could. It had been a good while since Lifeline had a really good match so it wouldn’t be suspicious for her to sabotage the game in her favor. A first chance to do as she was commanded. She groaned. She was never a morning person but the games beckoned. They all needed to be outfitted, conditioned, and then prepped for the drop. She growled once again as she got herself out of bed and showered. As she made her way to the kitchen, there was a warm scent of coffee in the air. She expected more Legends to be preparing for the arena, but there was only Caustic. 

“Morning, Ms. Veil.” He nodded politely and his velvety voice was like a purr. Not too loud, and definitely a soothing one this early morning. 

“Doctor, you know I’ve told you… you can call me Rylee.” 

He remembered fully well that she had requested he use her first name. But he seemed to keep a tone of formality with her. 

“Coffee?” He offered as he poured a cup anyway. He handed her the mug and she smiled gratefully. 

"What are you doing up so early?" 

"I tend to wake up earlier on a match day." He responded and she saw he was still in what she could only assume were casual clothes for him; a dark grey thermal and jeans. She couldn't help but also notice that he was incredibly in shape and she wondered if all the gear he carried in the games was how he maintained such a physique. 

They sat in silence for a moment, but not an unpleasant one. She savored the richness of the coffee and noticed Caustic watching her over the rim of his mug as he took a long sip. 

“You look like you have a question…” She mused. 

“Several. Forgive me. I am a man of science. I have an inquisitive mind.” 

“Well, I suppose I’ll be happy to answer your questions, for the sake of science.” She quipped. 

“You’re toying with me, I see.” He shifted on his chair but sat the mug down and retrieved a notepad that was in his back pocket. She eyed him closely, observing his mannerisms. Seeing these Legends up close and learning their behaviors was going to help her in the ring when she used her Ult. 

“I’ll require your vitals, if you will oblige me Ms. Veil.” He held a hand out. She looked at it suspiciously but the look in his eye made her feel that this truly was a scientific only process. She laid her much smaller hand in his, the back of her hand sitting in his palm. He grasped her small wrist. She noted how he could easily crush her wrist in his hands but he was surprisingly gentle with her. He quickly then placed a vital meter on the same spot on her wrist and her heart rate appeared on the holographic display. 

He read it a moment and then wrote furiously on his notepad. His handwriting was surprisingly neat for a man, and noticed the words “Elevated heart rate.” She cleared her throat, uncomfortably. 

“I’m simply going to ask you a few questions in regards to the Apex Games. Do you consent to be a part of this research?”

She nodded. 

“I apologize, Ms. Veil. I need your verbal consent.” 

“Oh, right. Yes. I, uh, I consent.” She blushed and he wrote a few more words. “Flushed. Flustered.” 

She scowled for just a moment. She knew her face was very easy to read when she was outside of her element.

“Ms. Veil, how do you feel going into your first match today?”

She paused and thought for a moment. “I’m anxious. I don’t know what to anticipate. I’m eager, I want to see if I have what it takes.” 

He wrote, not taking his eyes off her vital monitor. Then paused. “Did you go through the trials or were you given an Apex card?”

“Is that important to the research?” She asked. He shook his head. “No. That was just my own curiosity. I apologize. We shall continue. What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think about getting your first kill in the game?”

She knew this was a quick answer question, so she tried not to overthink. “Control.” 

He looked down at his notepad as he wrote her answer down. 

“Do you like to be in control?” He then instantly shot a glance at her heart rate. 

“Yes.” She said without a hesitation. She felt her heart pound. 

His brows furrowed, she looked at her heart rate which had just spiked. 

“Hmm, are you quite sure about that?” He then looked up and into her eyes, prodding for more. 

“Yes.” She said, almost as a question, unsure if she believed it herself. 

“Very well. Do you have any violent tendencies?” He asked after a brief pause.

She sucked in a breath.

“Honestly?”

He looked up from his notepad and tilted his head slightly. “It’s up to you whether you choose to answer honestly or not. It’s up to me whether it affects the data."

“I do have violent tendencies.” She responded, without a second thought. 

Caustic still watched her vitals. There was a steady rhythm and he concluded she was telling the truth. 

“Have you always had violent tendencies?” 

She shook her head. “No. But I have always had a temper. I like to think I handled it well. I would take it out at the firing range.”

"Have you actually killed anyone before? Not in trial matches..." He clarified. 

Her gaze hardened a bit. "Yes."

“How did it feel when you murdered for the first time.” 

She snapped and, without hesitation, retorted back.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me how it felt when you murdered your boss when you were an employee of Humbert Labs, Doctor?”

His pen paused and then he wrote down her response. 

“What do you hope to gain by competing in the games, Ms. Veil?” He looked her in the eye this time as she swallowed hard, his eyes searching for something in hers.

"Why does anyone compete? Fame, glory, money..." Her voice cracked. Caustic didn’t move, but something changed in his eye, almost as if the scientist stopped his research for the moment and a man with some form of empathy emerged and he placed his hand on hers. 

"Rylee, you don't have to..."

"Freedom. I want freedom." She was surprised to be caught so off guard in that moment and before she could stop herself, she felt those simple words she wanted most come out of her lips in a strangled whisper. 

She could've sworn she saw him nod in understanding. But before she could look any further, she removed the vitals monitor off of her wrist and quickly walked to her room...leaving behind the doctor, taken aback by the brutal honesty that he was just suddenly given by the new Legend.

Rylee quickly made her way back to her apartment. Of all the people to open up too, why was it that she opened up to Caustic? The way he looked at her had made her feel safe and comfortable. Something she'd never felt her entire life of being on the run. But this man was a supposed psychopath, a man who watches his victims die with enjoyment. How could she possibly feel safe around him? She clenched her hands, angered at the fact she was already spending too much of her time wondering about Caustic and less on the game that was only a few hours away. She had a job to do and if she really wanted her freedom, she was going to have to do better.


	4. Ready to Drop

The ride on the drop ship was pleasant. Each Legend had a designated area, personalized and comfortable. Rylee sat in a new compartment which had been installed just recently. A daybed and desk was all to each compartment and Rylee figured that when she received her first paycheck she was going to begin customizing her apartment and drop ship compartment, making the space her own. She glanced over at Octane, who was chatting up a storm, live streaming to his fans. Mirage was in another stall, flipping through a magazine which featured his mug on the cover. Gibby and Banga made small talk in her compartment but a majority of the Legends were just focusing on the first game of the season which was about to start. 

“Good luck out there. The first game can be a bit overwhelming.” Wraith brought Rylee back in from her thoughts. 

Rylee offered a kind smile. “Thanks Wraith, yanno out of all the Legends that I’ve watched, I always enjoyed your fight styles.” 

Before Wraith could respond, the ship lurched and an automated voice called out. 

“APPROACHING DROP ZONE.” 

The lights inside began flashing red and each Legend made their way to the center of the ship, looking to the screens to see who they’d be paired up with. Rylee took a few deep breaths and activated her suit, fully becoming her alter ego of Camouflage. She knew the cameras would be on her more for her first game, especially as soon as they jumped from the drop ship. She held her breath and hoped Lifeline would be on her team. It would make her job a lot easier in protecting her without anyone noticing. 

But it wasn’t meant to be as she read the names on the hologram. Wraith, Camouflage, Bloodhound. It was a good and stealthy team. Perhaps it would be easier to snipe this round and keep eyes out for Lifeline. 

“Looks like I won’t have to use my fight styles against you!” Wraith joked as they stepped onto the lowering platform. 

“The battle begins. May the gods bless you.” Bloodhound stated to the other teams. Many just shrugged their comment off.

Camo looked at the other teams and saw Lifeline paired up with Gibby and Bangalore. A solid team. And then she caught Caustic’s eye. He was watching her, observing like always and she pulled her stealth suit over her mouth and nose to where all you could see were her eyes and she didn’t break eye contact with him. She could’ve sworn she saw a smile tug on his lips but it vanished quickly as he applied his breathing apparatus and they lowered further down from the platform. 

“I’m the jumpmaster...this time.” Wraith stated, testing the comms which worked perfectly. 

King’s Canyon approached beneath them and Camo couldn’t help but grin. She wasn’t as much of an adrenaline junkie as Octane, but dropping into King’s Canyon was something she actually looked forward to in the games. 

“I say we land over there.” Wraith targeted the Relay. It was further on the map then other locations, but Camo knew the strategy behind it. They would avoid the chaos of Skull Town and Bunker at all costs. The gear was less high tier but it would be worth the long run to the ring if it meant they could gather the gear as they went. 

“Copy that.” Camo replied, clearly into the comms. 

“I am vith you.” Bloodhound followed suit. 

Camo shifted from one foot to the other, rocking back and forth eagerly. 

“Dropping in, hang on.”

Wraith jumped about two seconds before Bloodhound and then Camo. The rush was one of the greatest feelings in the world and despite how cold it was at first, the temperatures rose as they came closer to the ground. She felt her face flush but she knew her eyes were beaming and the crowd would be eating it up as they watched in comfort. Relay was just ahead and Camo looked around to see if any other enemy squads had the same idea, but it looked like they were the only ones to drop in the area. The landing was incredibly smooth thanks to the jet packs and Camo booked it to the nearest supply bin. It hissed open. She knew it was foolish to hope for anything spectacular in one of these supply bins at Relay but she was pleasantly surprised when an R-99 appeared before her. She eagerly snatched it up and grabbed the thermite grenade and knockdown shield that was also in the bin. 

The beginning of the game was rather uneventful - landing in Relay did them well so Camo could get her bearings and they made their way through the Wetlands. She studied the map of King’s Canyon, but it’s different when you are actually on the island. 

“First Blood” a voice rang out amongst the Canyon five minutes after the drop. 

“First blood….should have seen that coming.” Wraith sighed but they trudged on and shifted course towards Containment.

Camo followed Wraith and Bloodhound, watching them carefully and studying their movements. 

“Enemy over there. But they’re not close” Wraith spoke that brought Camo out of her observations. She instantly crouched, knowing her passive ability would have higher damage and she was thankful to have a Longbow with a decent sniper scope. 

“Vy are you crouching?” Bloodhound whispered. 

Camo moved closer to Bloodhound, still crouching. 

“I do extra damage when I crouch.” 

“How do you walk like that while still crouching? I always look...ridiculous.” Wraith watched as Camo gracefully moved side to side and forward while crouching. 

“When you need to stay hidden, flexibility is necessary.” She laughed slightly then looked at Wraith who still watched intently. “I do yoga…” She finished and she saw a grin creep on Wraith’s face. Camo looked into the scope of her Longbow and spotted an enemy in her sights. It was Bangalore and they were looting Containment. 

“Dammit,” Camo thought to herself. If it had been the other team, they would’ve been able to snipe and ensure that Lifeline had a fighting chance to win.

“I’ve got them in my sights. Should we push?” She asked and looked to her squad mates, knowing full well they weren’t prepared to push just yet. 

“Nay. Ve are not yet destined to fight them yet.” Bloodhound responded. 

“If we move positions, and head around by Bunker, we may be able to flank them.” Camo said as she kept Bangalore in her sights. 

But before she could finish her sentence, Wraith’s eyes turned white and she looked straight at Camo. 

“You’re in their sights...MOVE.”

Camo looked all around her but couldn’t see anyone and without hesitation she activated her tactical ability and felt the cool rush all around her as she became her surroundings. She would be able to take cover quickly and receive no damage from whoever was eyeing her. Wraith punched a tunnel towards a building nearby and they all took cover within the confines of the building. 

“That vas close. Ve shouldn’t have been out in za open.” Bloodhound huffed. 

“You’re right, that was my bad.” Wraith nodded as they looted the small building quickly, stocking up on ammo.

\--------------

He couldn’t help but watch. The way she moved when she crouched had him enraptured. Alexander had surveyed all of the Legends, but none moved with such grace as Camouflage. The shot was clear. She was too out in the open, his finger on the trigger and yet he didn’t pull it. He wanted to observe more. And before he knew it, she looked around in a panic and then vanished. He felt his throat tighten and growled. Wraith must’ve tipped her off.

“What’s wrong compadre?” 

“I had a subject in sight.” His voice monotone in order to conceal his frustration.

“Should’ve taken the shot.” Mirage polished his Wingman and put it back in the holster - they had dropped in Bunker and practically set up camp there. They had a small firefight with Gibraltar but Bangalore and Lifeline were able to revive him and get the hell out of dodge. 

“Patience. Just patience.” Caustic barked back and he waited for the little insects to fall into his traps. 

\----------

“I bet you there’s a squad in Bunker.” Wraith opened one of the doors back outside and targeted Bunker. 

“I like that idea. We can ambush them.” Camo put Bunker in her scope sights. Knowing that Lifeline’s team was over at Containment still, they could go around and through Bunker. And if Bangalore was smart, which she was, they could third party their team for the win. 

“Ve vill slatra.” 

“Alright, let’s push.” Wraith stepped out the door and they began sprinting towards Bunker. 

\----------

“I hate this. This is so boring.” Octane ran back up and down the steps in Bunker. 

Mirage was facing one of the windows to a room, picking his teeth.

“You sure this is gonna work?” He turned back round to Caustic. 

“Accept the process. It is, after all, well tested.” Caustic went to set a gas trap at the top of the stairs. 

“Whatever you say - you ended up having the most wins last season.” Mirage shrugged. 

“Placing an independent variable.” Caustic laid the trap and inspected it. It hissed as it sprung to life. He was about to turn when the North door to Bunker opened, he quickly drew his Flatline and aimed. 

Nothing. 

“Subjects are entering Bunker via the north door.” He murmured into the comms. 

“I’m ready for them, let them come. Rapido!” Octane’s voice reverberated in the hall. Caustic huffed. Whoever was pushing knew they were there and Octane was always a dead giveaway.

When nothing happened for a few seconds, Caustic moved closer to the door to look outside. 

Nothing. He glanced from side to side. Nothing was there except one of his gas traps by the door and the empty loot bins they had grabbed early in the game. 

“Any sign of ‘em!?” Mirage’s voice came next over the comms. 

Caustic started walking back towards Bunker but before he could even reply, the gas trap by the door was gone and there she was. Camouflage. 

“Making contact!” He shouted but it was too late as she emptied a clip into him with her R-99. 

He panted. “...I’m down.” 

She sauntered over to him and he knew that Wraith and Bloodhound were entering the south door to take out Octane and Mirage. She posed to use a finisher. Her first of the Apex Games. They hadn’t developed any special finisher’s yet but this would be the first of many in her Apex career.

“Dangerous things are always hidden in places people never think to look.” She crouched down into a seductive pose to meet his eye level, winked, then shot him in the gut with the Longbow point blank. The pain of the games were never as bad as people think, but it still was painful. All went black and he was transported back to the Drop Ship to await the victors or to be respawned by his teammates.

\----------

Bloodhound and Wraith pushed forward into Bunker, but not without taking extensive damage from Octane and Mirage. Fortunately, Camo had slid down the steps from the North and flanked the enemy team. 

“Taking damage…” Wraith shouted then was knocked. 

Camo reloaded her R-99 and aimed for Mirage but it crackled and jolted. 

“You got bamboozled!” It shouted at her as it disappeared. 

“Dammit!” She quickly reloaded again but Mirage had rounded and landed multiple shots into her. She was surprised at how bad the bullets hurt, most likely to keep Legends from being too reckless in game. 

“Allfather give me sight!” Bloodhound went into Beast of the Hunt. 

“Octane get outta here!!” Mirage shouted before Bloodhound took him out. “I’m down!” 

“Faster, faster, faster!” Octane shouted as he left the south door of Bunker but, much to his dismay, he ran smackdab into an Air Strike from Bangalore and was killed. They heard the ruckus in Bunker and decided to third party.

“This isn’t good.” Wraith was bleeding out and Camo ran towards her. 

“Hold on, I got you.” 

“No good! Turn around, they’re coming.” Wraith responded and Camo stopped reviving only to be met with Gibraltar and she was smacked in the face with his shield and was knocked. 

“I’m down...Bloodhound it’s all on you.” 

But Camo knew better. Bloodhound against a whole squad meant likely defeat but it’s what she needed to ensure Lifeline would get the win. 

“Enemy down!” Lifeline called out as she finished off Wraith. 

Camo’s eyes became clouded as she bled out. 

“I am taking fire!” Bloodhound shouted and it wasn’t two seconds later that Bangalore finished them off and the Apex Champion fanfare began playing. 

In that moment Camo was transported straight to the dropship. The feeling was much like going into one of Wraith’s Void tunnels but there was no feeling whatsoever. The feeling was much more like jumping out of a drop ship. 

“Here are your Apex Champions!” The announcer voice echoed through King’s Canyon and the winners went to the top of the canyon. 

“Good, Lifeline got the win.” Camo thought to herself as she opened her eyes and was back in her compartment on the dropship. She tried to sit up from her daybed but was completely stiff and a medical MRVN unit approached and began administering stim packs. 

Everyone was already in the dropship, with the exception of the Champion Squad. 

“Eh, not bad, new girl! Better luck next time though.” Mirage held a bandaged side as he leaned against the headboard and grunted. 

Camo pretended to feign disappointment. But in reality, she wasn’t at all. The rush of the games was incredible, the feeling of each bullet hitting their mark was exhilarating. She was so eager to go again, even though they only would play two matches a week. Her communicator went off on the side table. 

BLISK: Good going. The crowds are already going nuts over your finisher with Caustic. Stand by for further instructions. 

She almost forgot about that finisher. That thrill alone was enough to get her heart pumping again and she looked for the scientist and found him at a desk, writing furiously. She got up to approach him. 

“I wouldn’t.” Mirage stopped her. “He can be pretty scary after a match, especially if he’s the first one to die.” 

She sighed and sat back down on her daybed but started grinning again. This was better than she ever anticipated.


	5. Unexpected Encounters

The dropship slowed down before it reached the helipad across from Legend’s Tower. Rylee was aware through many live streams and broadcasts that after the first match of the season, the paparazzi would line up a red carpet and interview the Legends. She just was surprised by all the flashing lights and everyone began shouting out names. 

“MIRAGE!” 

“BANGALORE!”

“WRAITH!” 

And to Rylee’s surprise, there was her name being shouted rather louder than the others. 

“CAMO! HEY OVER HERE! CAMOUFLAGE!” The voices shouted and she tried to turn to each before she just began smiling and posing. She noticed many of the Legend’s stopped to talk to reporters, specifically Gibraltar, Bangalore, Lifeline, and Mirage. Many of the others made their way to the doors of Legend’s Tower. But many reporters called out to Caustic asking him to make a statement and he growled back to them over his shoulder, “It’s a fine line. Avoid death as closely as possible.” 

Camo paused as a reporter shoved a microphone in her face. 

“Camo! Wow what a first game, can you tell us about that dramatic finisher?”

Camo took a beat. “Uh, well - this was the first time any of the Legends have had the chance to see my abilities. I wanted to show that I’m a worthy contender of the games.” 

“That you are! That sultry look you gave Caustic was SPICY!” The woman laughed heartily. 

Camo simply shrugged and suddenly was becoming aware of what Legend she was painted out to be; an elusive and deadly figure. 

“How do you think your father would feel were he here to see your performance? In case our viewers had forgotten, Camo here is the daughter of notorious Apex Predator, Richter.”

Camo suddenly wished she could vanish right there but she knew Blisk would be watching...waiting for her response.

“Well, I think he would have told me to suck it up, get back out there and if I was his daughter then I wouldn’t have been downed so fast.” 

“Sounds like something one would expect from an Apex Predator. We’ll follow you closely! Stay tuned as we cover the Apex Legends this season!”

The camera lights shut off and Camo blinked quickly before she turned and made her way to the Tower but was stopped by the reporter. 

“Those were some decent sound bites. Blisk is gonna be pleased, we can play up any angle. We were needing a potential partner for Caustic. Regardless, good work.” She tossed her hair and turned.

As the reporters left, Camo scowled and made her way back to the penthouse to her apartment. 

\------

Many of the Legends had already retreated to their apartments but Rylee went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the bar. She poured herself a generous glass and downed it in one swift swig and poured another. Her hands were shaking. Blisk had never said anything about the games interfering with her personal life. All she had to do was throw games or win them. What he was asking of her was to change everything about her and the way that reporter held her persona in her hands was infuriating. The way the reporter asked if her father would be proud of her had her seeing red. She wasn’t him. She wasn’t an Apex Predator. But she felt the rage take over as she lifted her glass and chunked it towards a wall and then she turned and punched the wall directly beside her, feeling her knuckles crack against the brick. 

“Would you like a sedative?” A deep voice pulled her out of her tantrum. 

It was Caustic. 

“How long have you been there?” She shouted at him, the wild in her eyes unmistakable. He had seen it before in his own reflection. 

“You have a proclivity of answering a question with a question. It’s counterproductive. Do you require a sedative?” He continued as he grabbed a broom near the bar and began to sweep up the shattered glass that littered the floor like sequins. 

“No,” She snapped and then took a deep breath. “Thank you though.” 

“Your gratitude is acknowledged.” 

Rylee couldn’t stop herself before she blurted out and placed a hand on her protruding hip. “Is this how you’re like all the time? So calm and...well spoken?”

Caustic felt a slight smirk tug at his lips beneath his thick beard and moustache at her pose. If she was truly frightened of him, she wouldn’t have taken that particular tone with him. He was relieved she wasn’t afraid of him. 

“Surely you’ve seen me in the games, Ms. Veil. I’m calm when the situation requires it for optimal progress.” 

“So how you are in the games is how you are outside of them?” She questioned, wondering if Caustic was just a face or if he was actually all he appeared to be.

He strode towards her and she finally got a good look at him. He had changed out of his menacing Caustic gear and wore an expensive looking dark navy sweater with black slacks. His hair was messier than usual, probably from the games. He reached for her right hand and examined the knuckles. 

“I might suggest saving the melee for the Arena.” He observed the hand a bit more. “You look like you may have broken a few bones. Ajay can tend to you in her apartment.” He hadn’t answered her previous question and the gesture made her wince slightly but her mind was far from the pain in her hand. 

“Listen, I’m sorry about using a finisher on you. I should’ve saved it for someone like…” 

“Why are you apologizing?” He gave her a puzzled look. 

“I, well…” She started. “ The finishers just seem a little over the top.” 

Caustic pulled up a barstool and she sat on it and he then grabbed another. 

“Ms. Veil, these games and Legends are exaggerated caricatures for the sake of entertainment. There’s no such thing as over the top in the Arena.”

She smiled. “If you say so, Doctor.” 

“Please call me Alexander.” He responded quickly. 

She paused. “I thought people weren’t supposed to know?”

“I’m testing a hypothesis. I don’t think you would turn me into the Gaea authorities.” 

“Why not?” She pushed. 

“I watched your face after the games were over. Your face was flushed indicating a rush of dopamine. You looked enthralled. You don't want to lose out on any opportunities to compete. If you turned me into the proper authorities, they would take you out of the games for questioning. And leaving the Apex Games is just not something you can do...or want to do for that matter.”

Blisk wouldn’t allow that. He wouldn’t let her lose any chance to compete. But the second part of his response caught her attention. Despite the fact she had no say in how she lived her life, this was the shortest occurence of an anger episode in years. And it was all thanks to the games. Or perhaps it was Alexander... 

“Maybe I just had high adrenaline. Anxiety.” 

He chuckled and coughed slightly. “You were but that was early on. You were still beaming after the Champion Squad won. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head? Many would be frustrated in defeat and yet you weren’t.”

“I see there’s not much chance in fooling you, is there?” She smiled as he continued to hold her damaged hand. 

“You fooled me during the match.” He quickly responded. “It was...ingenious to make yourself look like one of my gas traps. I hope you don’t mind me saying that I was most impressed.” 

Rylee bit her lip, a common trait she did when she was nervous. He quickly realized he still had her hand and let it go and she felt saddened by the lack of its warmth. 

“Elliott said that I shouldn’t bother you after the game, that you were upset.” 

Alexander furrowed his brow. “I wasn’t. I merely wanted to document your techniques. It’s how I conduct research in the games.” 

Rylee nodded. “So are we all experiments to you?” 

“Some more than others.” He watched her face as if he were studying her facial responses to his answer.

“Which am I?” She looked him dead in his pale green eyes. 

“That remains to be seen.” He paused. “I feel I can be perfectly frank with you, Ms. Veil. I’ve seen death and I won’t deny that it fascinates me. Does that make you uncomfortable?”

Rylee shook her head. “Not really. You are a curious person and all things that have a beginning, middle, and conclusion would be of interest to you. All beginnings, all middles, and ultimately all conclusions.” 

He smiled and looked at her for just a moment. “Death is a paradoxical quest. It ends, but never truly begins.” 

She caught his eye and held it for a few moments and wondered if it would be so bad to be paired as Caustic’s partner. She found that she wanted to lean in close to him. She had no idea where that thought came from. It intruded into her mind without hesitation and it was almost frightening to be so drawn to a man who was discussing death. He cleared his throat which broke her trance.

“I’m curious to see what direction the games take you.” 

“Were you surprised that the crowd painted you out to be a villain?” She went to fidget with her hand but the pain reminded her that it wouldn’t be a good idea. 

“Not entirely. I’m a private person and the things I say can come across as condescending to those of lesser intelligence. I simply see things in a broader scope than the general public and that intimidates most people. It also helps that I’ve developed a certain toxic gas that eats through flesh and metal causing incredible pain to those who encounter it. It didn’t take long for Caustic to become the Toxic Trapper obsessed with death. I was also the one who developed the death box concept of the games. Before, the Apex Games was a bloodsport and champions would die but people felt it a waste of investments if their Legend just died. So I worked on developing the Respawn teleportation method.” 

“That was you?!” A smile grew on her face and he could tell she was incredibly impressed which made him swell with pride. 

“When you study death as closely as I do, most people tend to keep you at arms distance.”

“You know they’re already making us seem like a pair in the games.” She looked at her hand, afraid of looking him in the eye. 

He hummed. “Well, if someone was to be paired with Caustic I’d specifically ask that it would be Camouflage.” 

“I’m glad you think so.” She smiled. 

He noticed that she had shifted close to him. He wasn’t certain if she realized that their legs were now touching under the table. He felt such a burn there, almost as if she was beckoning him to touch her and oh, how he wanted to. But he refrained. He had a purpose for being there, and undoubtedly so did she.

He knew he had to leave quickly if there was any chance of getting out of there before he did something impulsive or regrettable. 

“I hope I’ve been able to qualm whatever was angering you. I’ll leave you be.” He nodded in a most respectful way and retreated back to his room. Rylee looked after him, realizing that she did in fact feel less angry but it was replaced by a feeling she was quite unfamiliar with. She felt a throbbing in her hand and then left the kitchen and made her way to Ajay’s room.


	6. Ajay Che

“I’ll patcha right up. Don’t even worry!” Ajay grabbed her medical kit from a closet. Rylee looked around the room, nursing her hand. It was wonderfully decorated with vibrant colors and yet the room had a relaxing presence about it. 

Rylee took a deep breath and felt comfortable. 

Ajay turned round and smiled. “It’s essential oils. I noticed they help a lot when calming the senses. Hospitals are always so clean and…”

“Have that hospital smell!” Rylee finished. 

“Exactly! This makes it feel a bit more homely. The more relaxed the patient, the easier it is to treat them.” Ajay took out a rather large needle but Rylee wasn’t concerned. 

“What I’ll need to do is just numb it and then you’ll take this…” She handed her a small bottle. “This will help the bones heal overnight, only the best for the Legends!” 

“Thanks so much for your help. Caustic told me you’d be able to patch me up.” 

Ajay inserted the needle into Rylee’s hand. It stung quite a bit but Ajay talked to get her mind off of it. 

“Caustic found you in the kitchen?”

Rylee nodded. “Yeah, he helped clean up after my temper tantrum.”

“Funny. He rarely appears out of his room after a match.” Ajay smirked but didn’t raise her eyes from Rylee’s hand. 

“Do you get angry often?” She changed the subject. 

“Yes. It’s my “flaw.” Rylee sighed. 

“There are worse things. I do suggest you let that anger out in the Arena though otherwise you’ll become one of my regulars and Silva typically gets first dibs.” She retracted the needle and the pain in Rylee’s hand was gone. 

“Alright, bottoms up now, ya hear?” She motioned to the bottle and Rylee drained the contents in one swift gulp. It tasted like medicine but it was somewhat sweet. 

“Thanks Ajay. I owe you one.” 

“It’s my job. I love it.” 

Rylee didn’t quite feel like she wanted to leave yet and Ajay let Rylee plop down on a lime green beanbag chair by a desk. 

“When did you know you wanted to be a medic?” Rylee asked. 

“I’m not sure when. My parents capitalized on destruction. I knew that wasn’t me. I like helping people, it gives me purpose.” 

Rylee smiled at the genuine kindness that Ajay portrayed and found that she was much like Ajay herself. “My father, Richter, did so many terrible things. I don’t want to be like him at all, but I find myself enjoying the Apex games. Enjoying the thrill of it all.”

“There’s something different about the Games though, Rylee. Yes, it’s brutal. Yes, it’s a bloodsport. But you always have a choice to not be what everyone expects you to be.” Ajay put a hand on Rylee’s shoulder. 

Rylee looked down at her broken hand. She knew she didn’t have a choice. 

“And what about the other Legends? I’m curious to get to know them…” Rylee looked at a picture Ajay had framed on her desk of the Season 1 poster, changing the subject.

“What can I say about ‘em. With Anita, what you see is what you get. She’s tough but not mean. I love when Path is on my team, he makes the game more fun. Elliott...well, you’ve met Elliott. He’s a character but he’s got a heart of gold.” 

“And what about Caustic?” 

Ajay raised an eyebrow. “You seem to have an affinity for the Toxic Trapper.” 

Rylee blushed. “I don’t know. I guess he just is portrayed as a villain in the games. Is that what he’s like?” 

Ajay thought for a moment and leaned on the desk. “Caustic is a hard read. I’ve seen some of the things he does in games and I won’t lie to ya...it scares me. Outside of the games, he keeps to himself and does a lot of time in the labs a few floors down. He isn’t mean but I definitely wouldn’t want to upset him and I don’t intend on giving him the chance to be upset with me...unless it’s in the games of course.” 

Ajay continued. “Everyone in the games is different from how we are outside of it. It just takes some time to learn what we’re like. We’re going on an early season press tour next week, you can stay close to me and you’ll learn quickly how things are. Try to enjoy the rush of it all. It’s all a big show.”


	7. The Press Tour

The second game that week was fairly uneventful. They usually didn’t introduce anything crazy in the first week of the season. The second game saw Rylee coming in second yet again behind Octane, Pathfinder, and Caustic. But after that game they would immediately be boarding a larger drop ship and take them to Gaea for the press tour. 

The press tour focused on what to expect from the Legends this season, so they wore some similar gear designed by the Game Directors. Rylee had a similar suit but instead of covering her face, they applied a beige matte lipstick and heavy green eyeshadow, emphasizing the camouflage colors of her suit - and this time, the camouflage was moving in a pattern on her suit per some holographic skins. The stylist gave her a nice curl to her thick brunette hair and airbrushed some highlight to her cheeks. They all made their way to the center of the drop ship. Ajay waved to her and she made her way beside her. She was wearing the same gear, but hers was in much more vibrant colors. Rylee thought it was hard to imagine Lifeline in more loud apparel but the stylists out did themselves on this. 

“Are ya nervous?” 

Rylee shook her head. “I’m actually excited!”

“Good! It’s much better when you can enjoy yourself. We’ll be doing some interviews but then we usually go to this high end club to mingle with the highest bidders, you may even get some sponsors.” 

“You clean up real good, Camo!” Gibby walked up next to them. His gear was all black as opposed to white with a splash of red geometric shapes. 

“You too Gibby!” She grinned. 

Gibby whistled. “Damn. I didn’t think that suit could look any cooler, but THAT. That camo holographic is dope.” 

“Looks like the stylists have you matching Caustic.” Mirage nodded towards the Doctor as he walked out of the stylist area. His gear was the same black but instead of the vibrant yellow, there was a much darker green. 

Rylee couldn’t help her eyes as they wandered down his frame. He wasn’t wearing the menacing mask yet but Mirage was right. They were matching. 

She turned back to the Legends and saw that Caustic was watching her. She felt her cheeks grow hot as his eyes fell down her figure. 

“Arriving on Gaea in 15 seconds.” The voice echoed through the chamber and everyone approached the drop platform. It was a custom they drop in, like the games. Caustic moved his way to stand on Rylee’s platform. 

“Switch to channel 4.” He whispered loud enough only she could hear. She changed her comms to channel 4 as the platform began to lower and he put his gas mask on.

“You look radiant.” He said into his comms, his voice sounding more mechanical on the channel that only they were on and she felt his eyes were still on her. 

“Well, you don’t look half bad either.” Was all she could respond. 

“If you’ll allow me, I’d like to escort you this evening.” 

Rylee nodded and he placed a hand on her lower back and she felt her heart rate skyrocket. 

“Very well. Are you ready?” He asked and looked down on her and she looked up at him.

“Whenever you feel would be most optimal.” She winked and he pushed them off together. 

The amount of questions asked of them on this tour was inane. By the time the camera lights shut off, Rylee felt exhausted. Alexander stayed relatively close to her the entire time. They made quite the stir when they dropped in together and Rylee spoke into the comm very softly. 

“Wrap your arm around my waist.” 

Alexander didn’t hesitate. He assumed it was for the sake of the cameras. And he was partially right, but she felt slightly more confident with him at her side. She swayed her hips a bit more than usual, he noted but it wasn’t too suggestive. It was classy. And as they got closer, the reporters then separated them to get their questions answered by the individuals. At the end of it though, he found his way to her once again and escorted her into the club. 

Inside, the light was low with only a few blue spotlights that shifted to the music. The music itself had an old techno feel to it and Rylee looked around. She was still amazed to be one of the Apex Legends now, receiving the finest clothes, the finest foods, and seeing the coolest places. But the feeling was fleeting as she felt her communicator buzz and she glanced at it. 

BLISK: Well done. But out of all the people to choose to escort you...you went with ALEXANDER NOX? Way to be the talk of the night. Wait for further instructions. 

She felt that anger bubble up again and wanted nothing more than to drink to forget her purpose for being there. She also wasn’t ready to accept that she was struggling with being thankful that Blisk got her here…

“Would you like a drink?” Alexander kept his hand on her lower back and she felt a chill down her spine. She couldn’t help but acknowledge the chemistry she had with him. 

“Please. Surprise me.” She felt bold. He nodded and turned. 

She stood there for a moment, looking around the club. There was a dance floor, lounge areas, and many high class people. She made her way to a lounge area and took a seat, waiting for Alexander to return. 

“Rylee Veil! Ms. Camouflage herself!” A boisterous voice boomed in her direction and she saw a man with a crooked walk headed her direction. Rylee looked around a bit to see if anyone she knew was nearby but unfortunately, all the Legends were cornered and doing their job in mingling with the socialites. 

Rylee stood and presented a hand. “I’m sorry...do I?”

“Name’s Butch.” The fidgety man leaned in and kissed her cheek and she withdrew quickly, clearly uncomfortable. He had ginger hair and a short beard, much shorter than Alexander’s and Rylee tried to recollect if she knew this Butch.

“I’m afraid I don’t know you.” 

“Nah, but you will. I’m currently in talks with Blisk about being a Legend coming in maybe sometime in the next season.” She eyed him suspiciously, he didn’t look like much of a competitor.

“You know Blisk?” 

“Don’t be surprised, Ryles. He’s got a lot of connections.” Butch turned and yelled at a waiter nearby. 

“Bring us two of the Solace Dark Ales please.” 

“Oh that’s not necessary, I…” She turned to look for Alexander but he was gone in the crowd. 

“Nonsense. It’s the best on the planet. And it’s one of my brands.” Butch sat down beside her and scoot close. She shifted away. 

“I’m so glad I ran into you. I was hoping I would.” He grinned at her and Rylee could only nod. 

“Well, here I am!” She gave a fake smile. 

“You are causing quite the sensation for fans of the games!” 

“You’re too kind.” She fidgeted with her hands, a common trait she did when she was uncomfortable. 

“And you got this mysterious “DO ME” sort of look goin’ on.” 

Rylee clenched her jaw and started feeling that nagging anger come back.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

“Nope, just thought we out to get to know each other a bit better.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and Rylee had to refrain from breaking his arm.

“Excuse me.” A robotic voice caused Butch to remove his arm from Rylee’s shoulder. Pathfinder stood before the table they were at. 

“Camo, I believe Lifeline was looking for you. I’ll escort you.” 

Rylee exhaled in relief. “Thanks Path. Um. Pleasure to meet you Butch. I gotta go.” She jolted up and fast walked with Pathfinder towards Lifeline. 

“You seem on edge.” Pathfinder monotonously noted. 

“A little. Thanks for coming to my rescue.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He responded. She gave him a puzzled look but they quickly got to Lifeline.

“Enjoying yourself, Rylee?” Lifeline handed her a drink and she downed it.

“I am now.” She sighed and grimaced at the strong beverage. The alcohol seemed to even her out and she sat and laughed with Lifeline and Path, but from time to time wondered where Alexander had gone to. 

\------------------

“I’ll take two vodka martinis. Make them dirty.” Alexander spoke to the bartender who quickly made the beverages for the menacing Apex Legend. 

He took the drinks in his hand and turned to find Rylee and saw her at a table...with a man sitting beside her. He was tall with a thicker build but Alexander could easily take him down.

Alexander stopped in his tracks and felt rage. Who was this imbecile? How did he target Rylee so quickly?

Alexander paused and sat the drinks down at a table to observe. Rylee’s body language seemed on edge, her face clearly reacting with disdain. 

“Good.” Alexander thought to himself. 

Rylee’s face grew more and more tense and Alexander knew he had to intervene. But he couldn’t cause a scene, especially on Gaea. He looked all around and saw a perfect variable. 

“Marvin. Can you tell Ms. Veil over there that Ajay is looking for her?” 

Pathfinder turned from Rylee to Ajay and quickly responded. “Okie dokie.”

When the man beside Rylee put his hand on her, Alexander felt his throat tighten but was pleased that her face responded with disgust. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought Rylee was about to deck him right then and there and at that moment, Pathfinder interrupted them, saving the day. 

Alexander sighed and drank down one of the martinis. He was going to have to keep a low profile here on Gaea. And Rylee seemed to be enjoying being around Lifeline. He felt it best he observed her from a distance, for now. 

Alexander thoroughly enjoyed watching Rylee from afar. He mingled with any socialites who were brave enough to approach him but for a majority of the time, he sat in a large black leather lounge chair, keeping tabs on the new Legend as she danced, drank, and laughed to her heart’s content and as badly as he wanted to go over and keep her all to himself, he knew that wouldn’t go over well. It was getting late and he knew that they would soon be retreating to The Grand, the hotel that kept celebrities whenever they were in town. The club had begun to thin out, until only a few Legends remained, getting special treatment because of their status. Rylee and Lifeline were in mid conversation when Alexander decided to interject and see if they needed an escort to the hotel. 

“Pardon, but perhaps you ladies would like an escort back to The Grand?” 

Lifeline gave him a mischievous grin. 

“Um actually I need to go check in with Gibraltar. But perhaps...Rylee would ya like an escort since you don’t know your way around just yet?” 

Rylee, somewhat intoxicated, simply nodded and Lifeline gave her a hug goodbye then winked at Caustic. He never had much run in with Ajay but she was a good person and he was glad Rylee had made friends with her. He averted his eyes back to Rylee quickly and offered her a hand up. She stumbled a bit. 

“Where’ve you been all night?” She asked, a bit irritated. 

He was taken aback only for a moment. “My apologies, Ms. Veil. I...needed to keep a low profile while I’m here on Gaea.” 

“Pshhh. That’s no excuse.” She leaned onto Caustic’s arm for support. “I thought you were gonna bring me a drink.” 

“I was. But…” He started. 

“You know I’m not afraid of you.” She looked up at him and pointed directly in his face. He had to admit he was amused by her drunken boldness. 

“It would be in your best interest to be more afraid of me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not.” She replied matter-of-factly.

He smirked. “That could produce a fatalistic outcome.” 

She shrugged. “There are too many variables to be able to hypothesize. I say bring it on.” 

Caustic chuckled. “I...have no response to that.” 

She grinned and they walked the rest of the way to the hotel in silence. Once inside the elevator, Rylee turned to him. 

“So do you think after all this time, the Gaea authorities would realize who you are?”

Caustic pondered a moment. 

“Not likely. But I do not like to take unnecessary risks, unless the outcome is proven to be favorable.” 

“Fair enough.” She turned again and faced forward and that’s when she realized how close he was standing to her. She could feel the warmth of his hand just barely grazing hers and she tried to deny the chemistry she felt. She wondered if he felt it too. But before she could ask, the elevator reached their floor and he escorted her to her room. 

“Thank you for accompanying me.” She smiled and inserted the key into the lock. 

“It was my pleasure. If you need anything, I’ll just be right across the hall.” He ran a hand through his long brown hair and motioned toward the door behind him. 

Before she could stop herself, Rylee stood on her tiptoes and gave a small peck on Alexander’s cheek and as much as she wanted to be surprised, she wasn’t when she felt a slight desire pool in her stomach when she caught his scent. Something faint like cedarwood and musk, a manly scent. Alexander’s scent. He reached a hand up and pushed a lock of her hair out of her face. 

“Goodnight, Ms. Veil.” He smiled then turned and retired into his hotel room.


	8. It’s All Fun and Games Until...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some interference in the games leaves people questioning Caustic’s motives...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Thanks for your patience on this chapter - I moved and started a new job so it took a bit to get settled in!)

The rest of the press tour went by without a hitch and Rylee began to feel much more at ease in the spotlight than she had before. She grew bolder in her responses to reporters, coming off as a young woman with a sharp knife and an even sharper tongue. And that only drew Alexander to her even more. He didn’t know what had possibly gotten into him. He spent much less time in the labs and more so in the gym and firing range, hoping to run into Rylee and perhaps spend some more time with her. And he didn’t even mind. 

In the training yard, Rylee couldn’t help but admire Alexander. He may have been older than the other Legend’s but he was well built for a man of his stature. A lot of the bulkiness he portrayed came from his Legend gear of gas canisters, but out on the firing range, he was in much less gear and Rylee kept catching herself watching him intently. 

That evening, the Legends had a community dinner plan and Bangalore got down to brass tacks like usual. 

“Alright ladies, this week is Duos.” 

A few of the Legends sat up in their chairs eagerly, while others seemed disinterested in the Duos matches. 

“This means this week, we’ll be doing three matches instead of two so I don’t wanna hear anyone staying up late, being loud and rambunctious. I’m lookin’ at you Octavio.”

Octane spun in his chair. “Who me? I would never…” 

Rylee chuckled and continued sipping on some hot tea she had made. 

“And if no one has any questions, I’m gonna go ahead and suggest we turn in for the night. See y’all at 0600 tomorrow for prep.” She nodded to the group and they began to disperse. 

“I hope we get paired up!” Lifeline leaned against Rylee and Rylee nodded in agreement. 

“Same! We have yet to get placed on the same team yet.” Rylee said, looking to her communicator. She hadn’t heard from Blisk in a week and she was beginning to assume his silence meant she was just supposed to play normal and try to win. 

“Go on whicha. Get some shut eye.” She nudged Rylee as they approached Rylee’s bedroom and Rylee took some of her sleep aid to pass out before the big Duo week. 

4:40am came much too quickly for Rylee’s taste. She was thankful though to see a particular message from Blisk. 

BLISK: Duos are too risky to rig. Just go kick ass. 

She sighed in relief. Finally a set of games where she can just enjoy and Rylee had to admit she was eager to jump in for this week’s games. She threw on some black sweats and a signature camo t-shirt and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee. She wasn’t at all surprised when she got there to see there was already a hot pot of coffee and a note by the coffee pot. 

“Good Morning. -AN”

She grinned and poured herself a cup and took it back to her room and got ready for the games. 

On the dropship to King’s Canyon, Rylee put up a partition to hide her view from the others. She wanted to do some yoga and center herself beforehand. Many of the Legends had their own pre-game routine and Rylee had finally found hers. She was in an upward facing position when Elliott came by. 

“Uh, sorry to be interrupting your weird...stretchy time. But it’s almost time!” 

She kept her eyes closed and smiled then took a deep breath. “Alright, be there in a second.” 

She counted out the rest of the pose then stood feeling ready and warmed up. 

The dropship jolted. “Approaching drop zone.” 

They all turned to the screens to see who they’d be teamed up with and Rylee held her breath and the thought of being on a team alone with Alexander excited her. She glanced over to him and found that he was watching her yet again but this time, there was something different than sheer curiosity in his eyes and Rylee couldn’t quite place it. 

The screens flashed. “Camouflage, Pathfinder.” Rylee nodded. Alright, first time on a team with Path and he gave her an encouraging high five. 

Caustic was paired with Wraith and Rylee felt a slight ping of jealousy but dismissed it quickly. 

“I’m the jumpmaster.” She smiled and Path nodded. 

“Exciting!” 

“What say we land over there?” She pointed over at Market. There was a potential for some quick close combat but since there wasn’t any pressure this game from Blisk, Rylee felt daring. 

“Sounds good!” They both jumped off at the same time and Pathfinder spun in the air in excitement. The excitement quickly turned to chaos when Bangalore and Gibby landed at Market as well.

“I’m taking fire, friend!” Pathfinder grabbed an EVA-8 but only landed two solid hits on Bangalore before he was downed. Gibraltar and Bangalore stood at Pathfinder’s death box for far too long and all Rylee could do was watch as the Respawn token timed out. 

“Guess it’s just me now.” She sighed as she raced out of Market quickly and towards the Hydro Dam. 

She was looting quickly and was able to get herself a G7 Scout and a Spitfire, not her favorites but they would do for this match. As she went down the stairs right outside Hydro Dam, she heard a familiar clanking of gas canisters and knew that Caustic and Wraith weren’t too far. 

“I say we push through to the buildings in Hydro Dam.” She heard Wraith state. 

“I concur.” Caustic responded in his typical menacing tone and they opened the main doors and proceeded to push. Rylee quickly followed suit, triggering her tactical and vanishing so she could get around the pair. 

“I’ll take left, you take right.” Caustic murmured to his teammate and they split ways.

“Excellent.” Rylee thought to herself and she targeted Wraith, hoping to corner her alone and take her out. 

\-------------

Caustic placed a gas trap in the building he was looting. He already had a Level 3 bodyshield, paired with a Longbow and a fully kitted Alternator. He was very confident in his chances for victory this game. He had been paired with Wraith before and he knew how she liked to fight but he was quickly concerned when he heard her yell. 

“I’m taking fire!” 

Caustic turned and ran for Wraith. He knew that he wasn’t the fastest, but perhaps he could come clean up with the Alternator, dealing out fast rounds for a lot of damage. 

As he opened the door to the building, he saw Wraith standing there and she faced him. 

“Got ‘em.” She said in a monotone voice. 

“An admirable kill.” He then felt a pain of a bullet meet his shoulder. 

“A second squad is moving on us!” He shut the door and they both were inside now and Wraith dropped down into a crouch. For a moment, Caustic paid no attention as he reloaded his weapon but then Wraith moved towards a window.

That movement. He had never seen Wraith move that way before and it occurred to him quickly that the death box in the room with him wasn’t downed by his teammate but rather it was the death box of his teammate. He looked out the window, turning his back to the Wraith imposter and as the Wraith imposter came up to finish him, he turned and shot Wraith four times with his Peacekeeper. The Wraith imposter’s disguise flickered and suddenly, Camouflage was before him, knocked. 

He knew he only had a few moments before the other squad outside would make his way to him but he wanted to savor this moment. Rylee looked down at the floor panting as he leaned down to her. 

“You almost had me, yet again.” His gruff voice beckoned. He then lifted her chin and she looked at him. He sighed heavily and Rylee continued to bleed out. 

“Go on then.” She huffed. 

He held her chin as he spoke. “Remarkable. Simply remarkable.” And he leaned close and she felt electricity course through her veins as he set off a gas bomb on his shoulder and the gas blew into her face.She tried to remember what he said about the Nox gas. She knew it would be an excruciating death. She tried to remain strong since she knew the crowd was watching. She looked back at Caustic, searching his eyes for a shred of humanity, but it wasn’t there. This was Caustic. Alexander was nowhere in sight. She felt her eyes burn and she wondered if she breathed deeply if it would end this pain sooner rather than later. She felt her eyes darken and then she was gone.

Alexander could barely focus the rest of the game. He knew the moment he began the finisher, that he was going to regret it. Seeing Rylee in agony was torment. He never felt that type of response to any of the other Legends. But seeing Rylee like that nearly destroyed him and he prayed that she wouldn’t hate him. He couldn’t bear the thought of her looking at him as if he were Caustic. He had to make sure she was alright and he quickly went down in game to be transported to the dropship. 

He landed in the middle of the platform, but instead of the normal post game festivities, two medical MRVNs pushed past the toxic trapper. 

“Gimme that oxygen mask, stat!” Lifeline shouted. 

“Right away.” The MRVN responded.

“No…” Caustic’s voice barely a whisper under his breath. He shoved his way past Banga and Path. 

“She gonna, uh, she gonna be okay?” Mirage stood on his tiptoes to see over Bangalore and Pathfinder who crowded a gurney. 

“Please tell me ya know how to fix this, doctor.” Lifeline beckoned and Caustic looked upon Rylee lying on the gurney, unconscious yet gasping. 

Alexander felt his hands tremble, something that never occurred in his entire life. 

“Yes… I uh...yes hold on.” He raced over to his quarters on the dropship and rummaged through the desk until he found what he was looking for. “Administer this through an IV drip.” He handed a syringe to Lifeline. 

“How long will it take?” She quickly hung the IV bag and placed the needle into Rylee’s limp arm as she continued gasping. 

“Seconds to just a few minutes...if we got it to her in time…” He replied softly. 

Bangalore scoffed. “Are you proud of your handiwork?”

Caustic’s mouth opened but no words came out.

“Care to take down some notes on her reaction? Camo almost just DIED.” Banga squared up to the man.

“I don’t even know how the gas affected her outside of the arena. It’s not meant to cause permanent damage if we use the death box respawn.” He finally managed.

“Well something did happen…” Lifeline replied and Rylee’s breathing began to even out, however still harsh. 

“Believe me, Ajay. I will be finding out how and why this happened. I guarantee that.” 

Rylee’s hand moved and her eyes fluttered open and she coughed. 

“Well damn.” She said with an incredible horse voice. 

“Bit of a rough death there, huh?” Ajay smiled and adjusted the oxygen mask to her face. Rylee turned and looked at Caustic. He could barely stand the pressure in his chest, the knot in his throat as he just studied her face.

“There you are.” She brought him from his thoughts.

“I...beg your pardon?”

“There you are.” She repeated. “Alexander. Not Caustic.” She sighed and reached out her fingers towards him...but paused. Ajay looked between Caustic and Camo. 

“Do all of your finishers result in this sort of...attention?” She tried to sit up but the smoke still affected her lungs and she began to cough again. 

Caustic simply shook his head and Lifeline spoke. “I’ve never seen anyone be affected by the Nox gas like this.” 

Rylee nodded and her eyes grew heavy as she drifted to sleep. 

Caustic’s breathing behind the apparatus became ragged, much more than Rylee’s was and he clenched his eyes shut. 

“This is interfering with everything.” He scowled. 

Ajay simply looked at him. 

“I will figure out what happened.” He turned on his heel and stormed away. “Mark my words…”


End file.
